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Sourced: Sorelle And Co. bakery makes gluten-free goodies

But gluten-free foods make it possible for many types of eaters to sit at the same table.

“A lot of people are allergic” to various foods, says chef Jean-Charles Dupoire, 43, who has recently become a gluten-free expert.

“It’s something that’s touching a lot of people. If we (chefs) don’t react to that, that’s a big crime on our side.”

Enter Sorelle And Co., a quaint bakery and café situated in a picturesque heritage building at 1050 Rutherford Rd. in Vaughan.

This barely six-month-old shop offers an array of foods that are vegan and free of gluten, soy, nuts, dairy, egg, preservatives and even sesame. After realizing a lot of people were allergic to the tiny seed, “we decided to cut it as well,” says Dupoire, Sorelle’s culinary director.

So far, customers have been impressed by the baked goods at each of Sorelle’s locations. There are two stand-alone shops: one at Pusateri’s on Avenue Rd. and the other in the Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s in the Eaton Centre.

Every week, customers devour 700 of Sorelle’s Nanaimo bars ($4 each), Dupoire says. Other delectables, such as puddings and sugar cookies, cupcakes and made-to-order cakes, don’t remain on the pretty displays very long.

That brings a smile to Dupoire’s face.

For him, this venture and style of cooking is a new challenge.

When the owners, a group of investors, approached him earlier this year, he was ready for something new. He had recently sold Loire restaurant on Harbord St. and Le Kensington Bistro in Kensington Market as well as other culinary ventures.

He was also experimenting with different ingredients, flavours and styles of cooking. Since his diet isn’t constrained by food allergies or intolerances, Dupoire says he’s well equipped to figure out how to transform a variety of alternative ingredients, such as chickpea flour and sorghum, into treats everyone recognizes.

Sorelle’s story began because the youngest child of one of the investing families has food allergies, Dupoire explains. Her parents aimed to create a place where the little girl, Rosemary, could eat without fear of having a reaction and everyone could enjoy a meal together.

“We want to open the door to everyone,” Dupoire says.

While the menus explain the bakery is allergen free, customers would be hard pressed to notice there’s anything different about the goodies behind the glass.

That is, after they’re pulled into Sorelle’s elegant surroundings.

The small white cottage, built in 1845 according to a plaque on the building’s exterior, has green awnings and high ceilings that sweep you up a staircase to second-floor seating, where patrons can order soups, salads and sandwiches. High tea is served often. The cutlery is gold.

Baked goods are made in the kitchen downstairs during the night.

The breads, including a challah ($7.50) and a multi-seed loaf ($8) are pretty darn good for being gluten free. The panini breads are first rate (three for $5).

My favourites of the sweet stuff: the Crinkle Chocolate Cookie ($3.50 each) — a substantial ebony disc that’s crispy and chewy with hints of melting chocolate and a puff of icing sugar on top, which fills me with giddy joy. I have also fallen hard for the cinnamon doughnut ($3.95 each). It’s moist, cakey and amazing.

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